Jesus taken
Original title: Jesus taken
kurzbeschreibung
Wenceslaus Hollar made this etching, Jesus wird gefangen genommen, between 1644 and 1652. It captures the moment of Christ's arrest. At just 9 by 6 cm, the small sheet brings a biblical subject to life in the expressive language of Baroque printmaking.
Description
A crowd of men presses around a figure kneeling on the ground. Some wear caps and robes; others are armed with swords and staffs. Behind them a mountainous landscape opens up with a single tree. From the top edge a hand reaches down from heaven, holding a cross. A Latin inscription along the bottom names the event.
Context
The Bohemian-born printmaker Wenceslaus Hollar moved to England during the Thirty Years' War and produced work there for aristocratic patrons. Biblical subjects were widely familiar in the prints of those years, and Hollar often turned to religious themes, frequently after other artists' designs. This sheet belongs to a series on the Passion of Christ.
Impact
The tight ring of figures and the hand reaching from heaven create immediate tension. At the same time, the carefully graded lines and shadows give the image a calm, almost devotional depth. Despite its small format, the print remains very present.
Technique
Fine lines bitten into the copper plate by acid shape this print, allowing both delicate tonal gradations and clear contours. It was printed from a single plate, which explains the work's only state. With this method Hollar achieved the detailed internal drawing and the sharp separation of forms.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)